Setting the frequency with atmospheric keys, Sharl opens her latest single, That Girl with the introspective lyrics, “Those midnight drives to your place, there, they’re some kinda habit, irresponsible routine, no lights when you let me in, and I leave in darkness, no traces at the scene…”
The song starts to expands as Sharl sings, “I don’t wanna be that girl” with reference to unrequited feelings. Sharl’s vocals are flawless and immersive, we love her tone and delivery. The production of the track is quintessential pop with warm fuzzy moments and a sense of familiarity and futurism.
Speaking on the meaning of the song, Sharl says, “There are actually two layers to the meaning of the song. The more obvious top layer is the story told throughout the whole song of unrequited feelings, and the time spent with someone being bittersweet and painful because it’s one sided.”
Sharl continued to explain the other layer of the song relating to the “That Girl” trend (a catchphrase popularised on social media in a show of the quest for lifestyle perfection), stating that “When I saw it, at first, I thought that’s great! I definitely want to be ‘That Girl’! The activities are mostly positive, healthy things to do.”
“However, on closer inspection, it’s a movement that promotes an unrealistic level of perfection, and no one can be perfect all the time. So then I thought: whatever, I’m kinda close enough! But later, I actually decided that I didn’t want to engage with that social pressure at all, hence the line ‘I don’t wanna be that girl’ was born.”
We love the whirring bass and the way that Sharl whispers, “That Girl, That Girl, That Girl” is super catchy! Sharl is a pop singer/songwriter who is also a doctor (iconic!) based in Melbourne, Australia. Fans of Banks, Rina Sawayama and Kelela will be able to connect with That Girl.
Perfect in her imperfections, we are obsessed with Sharl and the positive message she is conveying with her refined brand of pop. We have added That Girl to our New Music Spotlight playlist and have also been listening to Sharl’s other two singles, I Fell in Love and Let Me Know.